Celebrating Advent: What We Do and Who We Become as We Wait

On the first Sunday of Advent, President Dr. Brad Carter lit the candle of hope to signify the beginning of the season of Advent, a time of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. It’s been an excellent opportunity for the campus community to learn and grow as we reflect on hope, peace, joy, and love. Lecturer Vuyo Fakudze, introduced our theme: the challenge with waiting is not how long we wait but what we do and who we become while we wait.

In Christianity, Advent refers to the period of four Sundays leading up to Christmas. The word ‘Advent’ is derived from the Latin word adventus, which means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival.’ It symbolizes the church’s present situation in these last days as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal Kingdom. On campus, we also used The Bible Project’s Advent series to help us understand the weekly themes.

In our first week, we explored how hopeful people in the Bible often recognize there’s no evidence things will get better, but they choose hope anyway. As we wait, we trust God no matter how negative the situation seems. Hope is a choice to wait for God to bring about a future as surprising as a crucified man rising from the dead.

The lighting of the second candle marked peace week, and we reflected on the wholeness or completeness brought to earth in the person of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. People talk about peace treaties or times of peace as the absence of war. In the Bible, the word peace can refer to the absence of conflict, but true peace requires taking what’s broken and restoring it to wholeness, whether it’s in our lives, our relationships, or in our world. As we wait for the culmination of the Kingdom of God, we ought to be people of peace.

The third week of Advent was dedicated to Joy. Joy is more than a happy feeling. It’s a lasting emotion from trusting God to fulfill every promise. When Jesus of Nazareth was born, it was announced as “good news that brings great joy.” And, when he started announcing the Kingdom of God, he said, “When people reject and persecute you for following me, rejoice, be very glad because your reward is great in heaven.” Joy doesn’t mean ignoring or suppressing sorrow (that’s not healthy or necessary), but Christian joy is a profound decision of faith and hope in the power of Jesus’ own life and love.

Finally, we explored love which refers to more than just a feeling. It’s about caring for someone regardless of their response, and it’s modeled perfectly by Jesus. When Jesus arrived, God’s love became an embodied reality in our world. At the center of the universe is a being overflowing with love for the world. We receive this love and give it back to others, creating an ecosystem of others-focused, self-giving love.

As we wait on God’s current and future promises, we must remember the challenge with waiting is not how long we wait but what we do and who we become while we wait.

African Christian College wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.